“I ain't going to hurt you,” she said.
“You bet you ain't!” Swatty said. “'Cause why? 'Cause you darsent, that's why!” Only he said, “'Cors why?” like he always does.
She didn't say she did dare, and she didn't say she didn't dare. She said:
“Come over in my yard and play with me. Don't you play with them. I can play good.”
So Swatty pushed her again, and she stepped back a step.
“Don't you play with girls!” she said. “You come and play with me.”
“Aw! you're a girl too,” Swatty said. “Go awrn home and play with yourself.”
So he gave her another push. She looked as if she hadn't ever thought that she was a girl before. She said:
“I can beat you running. I can beat you jumping. I can beat you climbing trees. I can beat you skinning the cat. I can chin myself ten times more than you can. I can stand on my head longer than you can.”
“Go awrn home!” Swatty said, and gave her another shove.